Canadian Chocolate Reigns Supreme
Kathy HillIt was always a wonderful surprise and treat for me, growing up in Eastern Canada, when my Pépère (my French grandfather) would give my siblings and me a couple of dollars to go to the corner store. I’d often get myself a bottle of Crush Red Creme Soda, a bag of Humpty Dumpty Ketchup chips, and a Cadbury’s Cherry Blossom (a cherry in a rich sugary syrup, covered in nuts and chocolate). When the mood struck, I’d change things up a bit by choosing a Crush Grape soda, Hickory sticks, and either a Crunchie bar or a Caramilk. Never heard of them? That’s because they’re Canadian things.
After moving to the States, Cherry Blossoms, Caramilks, Crunchies, Crispy Crunches, Aero bars, Coffee Crisps, and other chocolate bars were nowhere to be found. So, I resigned myself to eating American confections. The first time I bit into a Hershey bar or ate an American Kit Kat, my taste buds did not dance. The chocolate in the Hershey’s bar had a waxy texture and lacked a rich, cocoa flavor. As for the Kit Kat, the chocolate was thin and also waxy. This was very disappointing to me. I thought to myself, “What gives?”
Is it just my imagination that Canadian chocolate bars are superior to American products? Am I biased by my nostalgia? Perhaps, but there are plenty of legitimate reasons to support my claim that Canada has better chocolate products. Consider this: In Canada, we eat chocolate bars, but in the United States, we eat candy bars. There’s a reason for that.
It turns out that Canada and the United States have different standards as to what qualifies as chocolate. Here’s the run-down on Canada’s regulations and requirements, per the Canadian Cocoa Regulations, Div. 4, of the Food and Drug regulations under the Canadian Food and Drugs Act:
Cocoa butter must be the only fat source. No vegetable fats or oils are permitted, unlike in the United States. Cocoa butter is the natural fat extracted from cacao beans. The distinguishing smooth texture of chocolate comes from cocoa butter. It also establishes the chocolate’s melting point. Ideally, chocolate should remain solid at room temperature, but melt easily in your mouth. Vegetable oils may produce a more stable chocolate at a wider range of temperatures, but it can interfere with the tempering process, changing the resulting texture and appearance. It also can impart unwanted flavors into the product, leaving the chocolate more fruity or bitter, depending on the type of oil used.
Chocolate must contain chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is the source of the characteristic chocolate flavor, including its rich, complex taste. It also contributes to the chocolate’s creamy texture and deep color.
Limitations are placed on the types of sweetening agents used. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, sorbitol, and maltitol, are not permitted. The latter two are sugar alcohols and are simply not allowed. Corn syrup is not permitted in Canadian chocolate bars (some products that use corn syrup are called candy bars instead of chocolate bars). American candy makers are more apt to use corn syrup.
Milk and milk ingredients are permitted. Many people prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate because it is less intense and complex. The milk products thin and soften the chocolate, often giving it a creamier, silkier texture.
Emulsifying agents, including vanilla, are allowed. However, no more than 1% of lecithin can be added to the chocolate. Emulsifiers help mix and stabilize ingredients that do not blend well on their own. They have a profound effect on the texture, appearance, and shelf life of the products.
These regulations are strict in Canada. Only products that meet all of these regulations are allowed to call themselves “chocolate.” Products that don’t meet this high bar are merely called “candy” or “candy bars.”
In the United States, candy bar makers seem to be more concerned with shelf life, appearance, and cost than they do with flavor and experience. They are content to use a smaller percentage of cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, and quality sweeteners than their Canadian counterparts use. Thus, it isn’t merely subjective to conclude that the Canadian products are superior in quality of taste and texture.
This leads to a variety of products that I miss from my youth and can’t find in the United States. Although Canada also has Kit Kat bars, they were more satisfying and enjoyable to eat, with their slightly thicker, creamier, and richer chocolate coating.
Coffee Crisps are like the wafery Kit Kats, only with more layers and a mild coffee flavor. Although the coffee flavor is not artificial, there’s only a minute amount of actual coffee to give it the authentic coffee taste.
Caramilks are similar to Caramellos, but with better chocolate.
Smarties in Canada are entirely unlike the Smarties of the United States. Smarties in Canada are a chocolate product, often compared to plain M&Ms. However, that’s not an accurate comparison. Smarties have a thinner, sweeter candy coating, and the chocolate centers are richer and creamier. Even many years later, I still remember the Smarties jingle, played so often amid the Saturday morning cartoons: When you eat your Smarties, / Do you eat the red ones last? / Do you suck them very slowly, / Or crunch them very fast? / Eat that candy-coated chocolate, / But tell me when I ask, / When you eat your Smarties, / Do you eat the red ones last?
Crispy Crunch has a crispy, buttery center, not entirely unlike a Butterfinger. However, the Crispy Crunch has a wider, but shorter, candy center.
Crunchie bars have a buttery, burnt-toffee center with a thin chocolate coating.
From time to time, Canadian friends and relatives will send me a sampling of Canadian chocolate bars to abate my longing and satiate my cravings. My two favorites are the Kit Kats and Crunchie bars. Sometimes, I will order my own over the Internet, although this can be an expensive option and not all retailers take care to ensure I don’t receive a mess of melted—but high quality—chocolate.